1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of telecommunications control, whereby a communication device may be connected to a selected one of a plurality of communication lines, which may each be coupled to different Central Offices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, telecommunications control involves computer-telephony integration (CTI), which is the integration of computer and telephone systems. For example, CTI systems enable computers to know about and control telephony functions, such as making and receiving voice, fax, and data calls, telephone directory services, and caller identification. CTI systems provide enhanced capability and flexibility to pass data from a telephone network to a workstation for the purposes of obtaining data and properly routing telephone calls. CTI systems provide an important interconnection between voice and data in order to ensure more efficient and increased communication.
CTI was first commercialized in the 1970's to provide remote control of private branch exchange (PBX) systems for mainframe computers. Then, in the 1990s, personal computer technology was integrated into CTI devices, thereby providing accessible solutions for telecommunications. Now, CTI devices provide many different functions and a better way to interface with several types of communication. For example, a CTI device may provide a platform that allows quick deployment for flexible telephone services, such as call control, media processing, and customer data management.
To provide these services, a CTI system typically includes several components: a switch, a switch-to-CTI interface, an application programming interface (API), and a CTI application. The switch provides an interface between an incoming communication line and a destination communication line where an incoming call may be routed. The switch-to-CTI interface provides connection between the switch and a CTI server. The API allows a software developer to create new functions/services for the CTI system. The CTI application operates on one or more of the computing devices in the CTI system and enables users to manage the telephony and computing resources.
Traditionally, telecommunication networks provided intelligence within switches by way of circuits within the switch. These types of switches are not flexible enough to provide the expanding services in an efficient manner as demanded by modern CTI systems. Thus, there is a need for a switch that is better able to communicate and interface with a CTI system, such as a switch and switch-to-CTI interface that allows a CTI station to programmatically control the switch.